Upon considering the matter over, which you spoke to me of
the other day, and more attentively, I do not think, all things considered,
that I can without indelicacy write to Edinburgh on the subject of the
‘Miscellany,’ still less about the
other works. You will observe I am almost in total darkness as to the actual
state of affairs, and without some plea or other, my writing, I think, would
not have that business-like air which you would wish it to have, and without
which it would have no effect. It has occurred to me, however, that you have a
perfectly fair and obvious plea for writing to me. ‘Loo-Choo’ was first published by you,
also the second edition; and my friends in the trade in Edinburgh have often
heard me say how handsomely you had behaved upon the occasion of that
publication, and with what particular courtesy and liberality of spirit you had
at once relinquished all claim to the work when it was proposed to incorporate
it in another publica-
| CONSTABLES MISCELLANY. | 249 |
